Facing the two well-dressed little girls, Nae felt nervous, which made her even more awkward.
White-haired Little Girl: Welcome back, congratulations on advancing.
Black-haired Little Girl: First, we'll issue your team uniform, take your measurements, and then engrave your rank.
White-haired Little Girl: There are a total of ten ranks: Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, and Kinoe.
Black-haired Little Girl: Upon just entering the Demon Slayer Corps, you belong to the lowest rank, Mizunoto.
The black-haired little girl clapped her hands, and the sky echoed with a few strange cries of crows.
A crow landed on Nae's shoulder. Looking at this black, bulky creature in front of her, Nae involuntarily shrunk her neck.
Black-haired Little Girl: This is a Kasugai Crow responsible for communication within the Demon Slayer Corps. Starting today, it will follow you.
White-haired Little Girl: Next, please select the steel ball required for forging your Nichirin Sword. It will take ten to fifteen days to complete the forging.
The black-haired little girl unveiled the red cloth behind her, revealing a small wooden table with a tray on it, holding several dull gray spherical lumps.
Black-haired Little Girl: To exterminate demons and protect yourself and others, you must choose the steel ball for forging on your own.
Nae walked up to the table, eyeing the nearly identical steel balls in front of her, unsure how to proceed. She wished Hatsune was here to help. After pondering for a while, she finally chose the largest one. When asked why, she simply felt that bigger steel balls were like bigger portions of food—they filled you up better.
Both Little Girls: The designed team uniform and Nichirin Sword will be delivered to the address you registered. Tasks assigned by the Demon Slayer Corps will be communicated through the Kasugai Crow. The final assessment of the Demon Slayer Corps ends here; please descend the mountain.
Both Little Girls bowed politely.
"Just a moment, may I ask if that boy in white also passed the assessment?" Nae was still concerned about Hatsune.
"Yes."
"Then... where has he been taken? Can I go see him?"
"Butterfly Mansion."
Butterfly Mansion courtyard.
Half a month later, Hatsune, with his left arm in a sling, limped out of the hospital room. This was his first time walking out of the room since waking up.
He was back in his patient's gown, in a familiar room with familiar smells and the familiar chatter. Suddenly, Hatsune didn't find the three female nurses as annoying as before; surviving disaster seemed to bring a strange sense of closeness.
Hatsune walked out to the steps in the corridor, the gentle breeze lightly tousling his snow-white hair, his deep gaze falling on the cherry blossom tree in the yard.
He had come back to life once again.
He no longer remembered many scenes from the last day of the assessment; now, all that occupied his mind were two words: "swing the sword."
Hatsune looked down at his calloused palms, still feeling the pain acutely.
Around the corner of the house, Aoi Kanzaki appeared, holding a stack of snowy white sheets. Seeing Hatsune sitting on the steps, staring blankly at his hands, Aoi's eyes flashed with a different kind of joy.
After a moment, she concealed this joy again, intentionally putting on a stern expression as she walked up to Hatsune.
"Who allowed you to come out? Go back immediately," Aoi scolded loudly.
Hatsune turned his head slowly.
With his pale face and weary eyes, Aoi couldn't help but soften inside, suddenly regretting her harsh words just now. Her twin ponytails swayed gently on either side, as if mocking her.
"It's too stuffy in the room. I just wanted to get some fresh air."
This was the first time Aoi had heard Hatsune speak in such a soft tone, and for a moment, she was at a loss.
Her previously stern facade crumbled under this unexpected change, and as she was about to say something, she hesitated and swallowed back her words. At this moment, she inexplicably panicked, glaring at Hatsune, and went to the center of the yard with the sheets in her arms, hanging them one by one on the clothesline.
The white sheets gleamed brightly.
Hatsune sat quietly, much like the first time he arrived at Butterfly Mansion, feeling out of place in his surroundings. But now, it seemed he was beginning to blend in.
"Caw, caw, alive, alive, caw."
A few untimely crows cawed overhead in the courtyard. One black crow landed on Hatsune's knee, and they stared at each other wide-eyed.
After finishing hanging the sheets, Aoi returned to the corridor.
"What's this thing?" Hatsune asked.
"You! You ungrateful guy! I've been worrying about you every day, and now you're saying what is this thing? I'm not just any thing, I'm a Kasugai Crow. Do you understand?" The Kasugai Crow flapped its wings, hopping around in agitation.
"Too noisy." Hatsune frowned, looking annoyed, waving his hand to drive away the black charcoal-like Kasugai Crow in front of him.
"Oh, you ungrateful person! I've been thinking about you every day, but I didn't expect that when we met, you would despise me. You ungrateful man."
The Kasugai Crow flew to Hatsune's head, pecking at his arm while flapping its wings lightly on his head.
Watching this from the side, Aoi couldn't bear it. She glanced at the corridor, grabbed a broom, and pointed it at the Kasugai Crow, scolding loudly, "You black charcoal head, chattering all day long, aren't you annoying? Get out of here quickly, or I'll pluck your feathers and make soup."
Seeing Aoi's fierce appearance, the Kasugai Crow scurried to the top of the rafters, glaring at the two of them with its round, shiny eyes, crying out loudly before flying away into the distance.
"You all bully me. I'm not staying with you anymore. I'm going to find the big-chested sister."
"Go, go, go. Get out of here quickly. You're chattering all day long, it's never-ending, so annoying, hmph."
After the Kasugai Crow flew away, Aoi angrily leaned the broom against the wall, turning back to see Hatsune staring straight at her.
The boy's eyes seemed to naturally possess a kind of magical penetrative power, cold and disrespectful.
"Kasugai Crows, each official member of the Demon Slayer Corps has their own dedicated Kasugai Crow, through which tasks assigned by the Corps and routine communications are conveyed."
Hatsune withdrew his gaze and nodded.
"I've heard about what happened on Mount Fujikasane. Congratulations on successfully joining the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Thank you."
Aoi was momentarily stunned, inexplicably delighted to hear these two words from him. It wasn't easy to get them out of this guy's mouth.
"During your coma, several people came to visit you. Nae stayed by your bedside for a week, and then she was taken away by her sister."
That shy girl could take care of someone?
Hatsune recalled that Nae had indeed mentioned she had a sister in the Demon Slayer Corps. She had come out this time to join her sister, but accidentally ended up participating in the Demon Slayer Corps assessment.
"Did she bring me back from Mount Fujikasane?"
"Sort of. If we talk about who saved you, it would be that boy named Akino. It was he who treated your wounds promptly and performed first aid, saving your life. It's said that at the time, you had stopped breathing and your heart had stopped beating. It was Nae who helped you... helped you breathe, to..."
In the bloom of youth, matters of men and women were still in the realm of innocent imagination. At this point, Aoi's beautiful face blushed involuntarily.
Hatsune felt equally embarrassed and didn't know how to respond. He looked embarrassed and annoyed, thinking about Nae leaning over him and doing that kind of thing. He swore he'd never see that messy girl again.
"I heard that boy named Akino, to save you, gave up his qualification to join the Demon Slayer Corps at the last moment." Aoi quickly changed the subject, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
Hearing this, Hatsune trembled slightly. After a long silence, he said, "I'm tired," stood up, and limped back into the hospital room without looking back.
Watching Hatsune's retreating figure, Aoi knew she had probably said something she shouldn't have.